The ability of Wisconsin schools to continue to provide excellent
classroom instruction is being seriously challenged because of
the state’s failure to live up to providing its commitment to
fully fund special education. Schools are being forced to choose
between special education or regular education. The Governor’s
budget:

Provides no additional funds for special education categorical
aids.

Prohibits IEP teams from recommending placement of special
education children. Under the bill, the LEA is responsible for
determining the child’s placement.

Uses a "census based" approach for distribution
of special education funds. Under the census-based formula, special
education aid will be distributed as a fixed rate per pupil payment
to each district based on a combination of the district’s total
and low-income pupils (without regard to disability).

Since 1994-95, the number of MMSD students identified
as having exceptional education needs has increased by 40%. During
that same period of time, the amount of money paid by state for
special education increased by only 12%.

Since 1995-96 the number of autistic students in the
MMSD has increased from 6 to 204.

Special education costs for Madison have increased $10.1 million
since the inception of revenue limits yet state aid has increased
only $1.1 million. If the state reimbursed school districts for
special education costs at the same rate as when revenue limits
began in 1993, MMSD would have received an additional $5.3 million
in 2000-01.

The Governor’s freeze in special education categorical aides
will further reduce Madison’s reimbursement rate to only 33%.
This means either that special education costs will consume an
even greater share of the district’s revenue by carving the funding
out of the regular education program, or EEN students will receive
reduced services.

The "census based" proposal fails to acknowledge
the funding needs related to a student’s disability. Rather,
funds would be driven solely by the total number of students
and the percentage of the total who are "low income"
students, regardless of disability. This funding proposal would
adversely affect districts like Madison with a growing number
of EEN students.

Contact the Governor, Joint Finance Committee members and
Legislators (see reverse) requesting that the state increase
its funding for special education, especially low-incidence,
high cost students.